Drink mixer



K.. E. BEMIS DRINK'MIXER Filed Sept. 14, 1956 7 Feb. 16, 1937,

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. B 5% 7 ATTORNEY.

K. E. BEMIS DRINK MIXER Fi ledse t. 14, 19 56 Feb. 16, 1937.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY;

lllu Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UN'HT'ED STATES ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention, a drink mixer, is amotor-operated device particularlydesigned for mixing malted milks and similar drinks in such thorough andrapid manner as'tosubstantially nullify melting during mixing, andcausing a decided increase in volume of the mix when the drink iscompleted.

The usual types of drink "mixers employ one or two impellers to agitatethe drink *mixture, which, in the case of malted milk consists ofpowdered malted milk together with frozen milk, ice cream, and othermaterials, as may be desired. These mixers usually use a small, lowhorsepower motor, varying anywhere from one-fortieth to possiblyone-tenth horse-power.

With drink mixers of the usual types, the agitation of the mix isdependent upon the circulation created by the impellers, and due to therestricted circulation, especially in the heavy mix of frozen materials,some of the mixture freezes to portions of the inner periphery andcorners of the container at the expense of other portions of the mixturewhich are melted, -resulting in an incomplete mix. In addition, anabnormal length of time is required for mixing, usually from two tothree minutes, resulting in considerable melting and a reducticn'involume of from 'ten to fifteen percent.

With this invention, agitators of special construction and form areused, together-with a container which can be manually rotated through anangle of more than one hundred and eighty degrees, whereby the agitatorsare designed to closely cooperate with the entire bottom and wallsurfaces of the container. The agitation is therefore complete, since,during -manual rotary reciprocation of the container, due to thespecific form and size of the agitators as related to the form and sizeof the container, freezing of any portion of the mixture is prevented,and-also, due

to the fact that a motor of excess power is used for driving theagitators, the mixture is completed in about one-half minute, instead ofthe usual two to three minutes, resulting in a homogeneous drink whichis unmelted.

With this excess power and thorough agitation and beating, the volume ofthe mix is considerably increased, amounting to about fifteen percent,instead of the reduction in volume which usually occurs.

For the above reasons, the specific type of agitator, the high powermotor, and rotatable container, are features of prime importance, thecombination of which produce the unusual results attained.

increasing the volume .of the tom'of the container to will becomeapparentas the is read on the drawings forming a'part'of thisspecification, and in which similar reference charout the several views,of

-A divisional application, filed runder date of Dec. 23, 1936 and SerialNo.1117,247, is specifically directed to the container and the"container sleeve.

The objects of the inventionareas'follows;

First; to provide'Ja-drm'k mixer which will produce a thoroughly mixeddrink in an unusually short period of time, thus decreasingameltingandmix.

Second; to :provide .a drink mixer as outlined 1 which circulates andagitates a drink mix throughout its entire volume :and thus preventfreezing of a portion-Jot thezmix'at .the :expense of another portion.

'Third; to provide a 'mixer as outlined with: means for 'manuallyrotatingwrv reciprocating the container during operation of'the mixer,to cause the :agitators to (closely approach all inner pe--rripheralrsurfaces, tas wellas the-corners and botpreventireezingincrustation on any portion thereof.

iFour-th; to provide a drink mixer with a driving'motor of excess.horsepower for driving the agitators :for violent agitation withoutdiminu- =efiicient anti-splash device and to protect the container fromextraneous heat during :mixing,

and alsoi'to provide said-sleeve with an intermediate'stop forclearing'thecagitators of any adhering mix.

Sixth; to provide'an iagi-tatorof special form,

and 1 consisting 'of an enclosed S-shaped :member, the closure beingsubstantially rectangular in form.

Seventh; to provide a mixer as outlined .mounted on a standardrefrigerator cover for mounting'directly on a refrigerator.

tion in speed due to .any :load'which 'mayresult in the partly 'frozen:materials of the mix.

Eighth; to provide a detachable base for the refrigerator-typecover, formounting the machine on supports removed from a refrigerator, su'chas ona counter or table.

Other objectsand'advantages of theinvention 5 following description thecontainer in drink-mixing position, and with detachable foundationattached.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of Fig. 1, with aportion-of thecontainer=housing or sleeve broken out to show the agitator, and withthe container in lowered, non-operative position, and with the brakelever and switch removed, and the invention mounted on a refrigerator.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the container housing flangeassembly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View showing the brake drum, switch, andbrake and switch-operating lever.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction 5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarg d fragmentary section taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line L- ofFig. l with a portion of the gear housing broken out to show the gearassembly.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation of the agitator showing its relation tothe bottom and sides of the container in two positions of the agitator,the same section of the container being shown on both sides of theagitator.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged section through the mixer base.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View of the base with the foundation shown insection.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section through the base and receptacle.

The invention consists of an excess horse-power motor l2 fitted with abase sleeve or pocket l3 which is provided with integral post, orstandard sockets M, in which the posts or standards l5 and I6 aresuitably fitted and secured.

The power of the motor 12 is far in excess of actual requirements, andconsiderably greater than is now used on drink mixers of the samecapacity, and the rated horsepower of which motor l2 is one quarterhorsepower for mixing twelve ounce drinks, and which available power isan important feature of this invention, as the speed of mixing andincrease in volume of the mixed drink is dependent on this excessivepower. With less power, there is a decrease in the speed of mixing orincrease of mixing time, decrease in volume of drink, increase inmelting of the mix ingredients, and an all around poorer quality ofdrink, lacking in smoothness and other desirable characteristics.

This motor is vertically mounted as shown, and is provided withornamental ring-type cooling vanes 11, and the top end 58 of the shaft19 is extended and has a brake drum 20 mounted on the extension.

Mounted on the upper end of the motor I2 is an electric switch 2 l,which has a ball-type operating or switch lever 22 for making andbreaking circuit to the motor 12.

Also mounted on the upper end of the motor I2 is a combined brakeandswitch-operating lever 23, having an integral brake portion 24 providedwith a brake shoe 25, and, a switch-operating lateral extension 2K5having a forked end 21 spanning the ball 28 on the switch lever 22, thelever 23 being pivoted at 29.

Movement of lever 23 manually in one direction coincidently releases thebrake and cuts the motor 12 in circuit, and movement of the lever in theopposite direction coincidently breaks the circuit and stops the motorby applying the brake.

Mounted at the lower end of the motor socket i3 is a gear housing andcontainer sleeve pilot 30, which is eccentrically mounted relative tothe motor shaft is, to permit gearing of the two agitators for opposedrotation, and includes a base 3| through which the agitator shafts 32and 33 project, and which are rotatable in bearings 34 and 35 which arefixed in, or integral with the base 3i.

Mounted within the gear housing is a train of gears, including the motorgear 35 which meshes with one agitator gear 31, which gear 31 mesheswith the other agitator gear 3%, the gear 3'6 being keyed to the motorshaft as shown at 39, and gears 3i and 38 being fixed on the respectiveagitator shafts 32 and 33. Thus, the two agitator shafts are driven inopposite directions.

The gear housing 35 has a. peripheral wall 49 which is circular in formand concentric to a.

point ii intermediate the axes of the agitator shafts, and a flange 42is formed at the upper end of the wall so to form a spacing and stopmember for the container sleeve.

Fixedly secured on each agitator shaft 32-33 is an agitator consistingof a frame .3 of substantially rectangular form with two square cornersM and A5 and two rounded corners :6 and 41, dia onally related; therounded corners forming two opposed rounded portions of an S-shapedinsert 48, the center horizontal bar 49 of which has the lower end ofthe agitator shaft secured therein as shown at the shaft passing betweenthe terminals of the top transverse member 5! of the frame, thus forminga rectangular frame agitator with diagonal corners respectively squareand rounded or curved, and with an S-shaped insert enclosed in theframe.

This agitator is shown with a portion of the container 52 shown relativeto both sides of the agitator to illustrate the close and variedrelation of the sides and bottom of the agitator during rotation; thaton the right of the View showing the sharp corner as closely approachingthe corner 53 of the container, while on the left is shown the clearanceoifered by the curved corner 46. For this reason, while the agitator issimple in design, the action is general through the mix, and with eachrevolution, the agitator cuts through two different positions in the mix54, and the same results are obtained also at the upper end of theagitator.

The unit is mounted on a base, which consists of a cover for arefrigerator 5%, and consists of a housing 5% having an encompassingcushion 51 of rubber or other resilient material suitably cemented oraffixed to the housing or shell and having an encompassing flange 53;the interior of the shell being suitably packed with heat insulation 59,which is retained by a cap Bil.

A foundation 555, which is circular in form, is provided for mountingthe mixer on counters or other places removed from the refrigerator.

Integral with the base are two hubs 62 and E3 in which the lower ends ofthe standards it and it are suitably secured, these standards acting assupports for the motor and as spacers between the motor and the base.

A receptacle 5 is removably mounted in the base to catch any reject fromthe container during and also functions as a bearing for the lower endof the container housing or sleeve.

The container housing or sleeve consists of two parts which areindividually removable and separable at will, and consists of a frontsection 65 and a rear section the top ends of the sections being formedto rotatably it the hearing wall 3 3 on the gear housing.

The lower end of the roar section rotatably fits in the receptacle t l,while the front section ter- .minatesfmidway of thelheight of the rearsection, as indicated at 161.

'fIhe rear section fifi :has a :fiange 68, and anotheriflangeifitformedialong the :respective sides and haslretaining'lugs :10:dependently formed and projecting forwardlyifrom the front face of eachflange, andi-alsoihasia spring latch 'ii formed to lock the frontsection in position.

.iihefrontsectioniefiidf the container sleeve, or guiding and centeringmeans, has flanges i2 and 13 formed along its respective sides, in whichflanges the slots 14 are formed to front-ally receive the lugs 15, thespring latch cooperating with the bottom edge of one of the flanges.

A container handle connection receiving slot 15 is centrally formed atthe bottom of the front section to receive the handle connection E6 oncontainer 52, to permit raising the container to completely enclosedposition within the sleeve or guiding and centering means.

The container 52 is cylindrical in form and has a handle TI connected bya single, transverse handle connection 76 which is attached at thebottom of the container to permit complete enclosure of the container inthe sleeve with a minimum length of slot 15.

The front section 65 of the container guide or sleeve is easily removedby depressing the catch H and sliding the front section down until thetop wall '58 of the slots '14 rest on the lugs iii, and then frontallyremoving the section.

The rear section 66 can then easily be removed by rotating it about itsaxis to the position normally occupied by the front section, thentilting the top end frontally and lifting it from the receptacle G4.

The operation of the invention is as follows;

The mix, including all desired ingredients, is placed in container 52,which is then placed in the machine in the position shown in Fig. 2,then raised to the position shown in Fig. 1, with the handle connection16 in the slot i5.

Lever Z3 is then moved to operating position, coincidently releasingbrake 2 1-28, and throwink switch lever 22 to on position, starting themotor, which drives the two agitators T9 and 88 in opposite directions,the square corner 45 and round corner 6 alternately cooperating with theliquid adjacent to the corner 53 of the container and in spaced relationthereto, while the Vertical members 8i and 82 alternately closelycooperate or approach the side wall of the container indicated at 83.

If the container was held in one position, the side bars 8| and 82 wouldonly approach the container wall at two points 84 and 85 and the mixwould be permitted to freeze on other portions of the wall.

Similarly, the bottom bars 86 would only cooperate adjacently to thebottom over a restricted circular area as shown by the dotted line 87,Fig. 6.

This is overcome, however, by manually rotatably reciprocating thecontainer and container sleeve by means of the container handle, asshown by the arrows 88, the sleeve being coincidently rotated bycooperation of the handle connection '76 with the sleeve through themedium of the Walls of the slot :75, and a full sweep is thus obtainedof the walls and bottom of the container, while the two S-shaped insertsoperate through difierent portions of the central portion of the mix.Thereby complete agitation is provided.

With the excess power available, there is no reduction in speed when theingredients of the mix are at first segregated and rather solidlyfrozen, and the ragitators 'operateiat full speed throughout the mixing:period. :This, obviously could not occur with power generally"available on such "devices.

After the mixis fully agitated, .(which requires about thirtyrsecondswith this form of agitator of enclosed S-shape and i the excess powerused,) the container tisilowered until the bottom strikes theobstructing lug 89, which in its preferred form, is merely asemi-spherical projection located midway between the bottom of the frontsection and bottom of the rear section. In this position of thecontainer, the beaters 19 and 80 have their lower bars 86 clearing themix or drink in the container, and therefore clear themselves of anyadhering mix, which is deposited on the upper walls of the container,draining down to the drink proper.

Lever 23 is then moved to its original position, breaking the circuitand braking the motor, after which the container is lowered to theposition shown in Fig. 2 and removed, and due to the rapidity ofcompleting the drink, very little melting has occurred and the volumehas increased considerably, as from ten to twenty percent.

It will be understood that variations in construction and arrangement ofparts, which variations are consistent with the appended claims, may beresorted to without detracting from the spirit or scope of theinvention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A drink mixer comprising, a container having a handle; a containersleeve slidably receiving said container; an intermediate obstruction onsaid sleeve for cooperation with said container in partly loweredposition; agitating means within said sleeve and driving means therefor;said sleeve being rotatably mounted for coincident manual rotaryreciprocation with said container.

2. In a drink mixer, a container and a pair of spaced rotary agitatorshaving a frame of substantially rectangular form with the diagonallyrelated corners respectively square and curved and alternately operatingadjacent to the sides, corners and bottom of said container, and,clearing said corners.

3. In a drink mixer, a container and a pair of spaced rotary agitatorshaving each a frame of substantially rectangular form with the diagonal-1y related corners respectively square and curved and alternatelyclosely approaching the sides, corner, and bottom of said container,and, clearing said corners, and an S-shaped insert in each frame cuttingthrough different portions of a mix during each revolution.

4. In a drink mixer, a container and a pair of spaced rotary agitatorshaving a substantially rectangular frame; rotatably mounted guiding andcentering means for said container consisting of two sections separableand removable at will and having an intermediate stop for obstructivecooperation with said container in partly lowered position; and a handlefor said container cooperating with said guiding and centering means formanual rotary reciprocation to cause said agitators to cooperate withall portions of the interior of said container.

5. A drink mixer comprising, a container having a handle; a motor havinga pilot; a receptacle; guiding and centering means rotatably mountedwith its opposite ends in said receptacle and on said pilot; rotaryagitators of substantially rectangular form centrally located in saidguiding and centering means and driven in opposite directions by saidmotor, said handle cooperating with said guiding and centering means formanual rotary reciprocation.

6. A drink mixer comprising, a container having a handle; a motor havinga pilot; a receptacle; guiding and centering means rotatably mountedwith its opposite ends in said receptacle and on said pilot andconsisting of a front section and a rear section separable and removableat will, said rear section having an obstruction for stopping saidcontainer in partly lowered position; rotary agitators depending fromsaid pilot and driven in opposite directions by said motor, said handlecooperating with said guiding and centering means for manual rotaryreciprocation.

KENNETH E. BEMIS.

